Machinery for cutting and folding paper or other fabrics.



PATEN'IED JUNE s0, 190s..

E. H. GOTTRELL.

MACHINERY I'QR CUTTING AND FOLDING PAPER OR OTHER FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 12,.1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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E. H. GOTTRELL. MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND FOLDING PAPER OR OTHERFABRICS.

APPLIUATIQN FILED DEC. 12, 1902- 5 snnmS-snnm 2.

N0 MODEL.

THE Nonms PETERS co, PNOTO-LITHO. wnsnmmou. 0. cv

PATENTED JUNE a0, 1903.

. E. H. OOTTRELL.

MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND FOLDING PAPER OR OTHER FABRICS.

APPLIUATION FILED DEC. 12, 1902;

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903.

E. H. COTTRELL. MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND FOLDING PAPER OR OTHERFABRICS.

' APPLICATION FILED 1336.12, 1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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umu, wwums-ron u No. 732,339. v PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903. E. H. COTTRELL.

MACHINERY .POR CUTTING AND FOLDING PAPER OR. OTHER FABRICS.

uruouxon rum) DBO. 12, 1902.

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ivo. 732,359.

I UNITED STATES Z Patented. June so, 190:5.-

' PATE T ()FFICEt EDGAR H. COTTRELL, OF STONINGTO'N, CONNECTICUT, AssIeNoR TO 0. B. CoTTRELL & SONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ANDSTONINGTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINERY FoR CUTTING AND FOLDING PAPER oR OTHER FABRICS.-

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,339, dated June 30,1903;

7 Application filed December 12, 1902. Serial No. 134,891. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR H. OoTrRELL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Stonington, in the county of New London and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machinery forOutting and Folding Paper or other Fabrics, of which the following isaspecification.

The cutting and folding machinery to which IO this invention relates ismore especially intended to be used in'connection with printingmachinery in which the printing of the several pages necessary for asignature is performed on a continuous web before cutting the latterinto sheets.

' The invention consists in certain combina tions hereinafter describedand claimed by which when all are employed together printed sheets whichare cut from the web'and sevzo eral of which are required to form onesignature are deposited in a train in which several successive depositspartly overlapping each other are presented together to a cutter andthereby cut transversely to their cuts from the web into piles ofsmaller sheets, which are presented .to a folder which by one fold foldsall the sheets of a pile together into a signature.

An important feature of the invention, distinguishing it from a priorinvention of my own, which is the subject of application Serial No.124,158 for United States Patent, is the substitution of a moving apronor traveling support for a portion of the stationary table illustratedin said application, on which the sheets are deposited in the train andalong which the train is taken by a carrier to the transverse cutter andthe pile of shorter sheets is taken to the folder, the said travelingsupport moving in the same direction and at or nearly at the same speedas the said carrier, and thereby relieving from friction that portion ofthe train of sheets which is at any time'being carried over saidsupport.

5 In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 1* together represent afront elevation of cutting and folding machinery embodying theinvention, the front of the framing being shown partly broken away toexpose the working parts to view; Fig. 2, a transverse ver- 5o ticalsection in the line 2 2 of Fig. 1*; Figs. 3 and 3*, a horizontal sectionon the line 3 3 of Figs. 1 and 1*; Figs. 4, 4*, 5, 6, 7, views of somedetails to be hereinafter explained of the table and carrier on a largerscale than the preceding figures; Fig. 8, a plan view of one of theprinted sheets cut from a web and collections of which the example ofthe invention represented is adapted to cut into smaller sheets andfold, Fig. 9, a plan view of one of the smaller sheets cut from thesheet shown in Fig. 8 and ready for folding with other similar smallersheets into a signature; Fig. 10, a plan View of a train of such printedsheets, illustrating the order of their assage to the cutter and folderfor the production of signatures; Fig. 11, an edge view correspondingwith Fig. 10; Fig. 12, a longitudinal section of the upper part of themoving apron and of the short stationary table, which togetherconstitute the support for the whole length of said train and of thecutter interposed between said apron and table.

A is'a bed-plate supporting the 'main framing A, in which are thebearings of the shafts c, which carry the rotary blades 0 C of thecutter for cutting the sheets from the web and in which are the bearingsfor the shaft 1) of the cylinder or drum B, hereinafter referred to asthe collecting-cylinder. Di- 8o rectly under this cylinder is thetraveling sheet-support M, upon which the sheets are deposited from thecollecting-cylinder. This sheet-support is represented as consisting ofa horizontal endless apron M, carried by roll- 8 ers M M M the shafts ofwhich run in suitable fixed bearings. The width of this support,hereinafter referred to as the apron, is a trifle less than the lengthof'the portion of the web out o& to produce the sheet in order that theedges of the sheet may overlap the edges of the apron sufiiiciently topermit one edge to be taken by the grippers 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 of an endlesssheet-carrier and the other edge to be jogged into said grippers by jog-5 gers t. The length of the straight upper run of the said apron is somuch greater than the length of the collecting-cylinder that in thedirection in which said apron runs (indicated by the arrow in Figs. 1*and 12) it extends, as shown in Fig. 1*, some distance beyond thecorresponding end of said cylinder. In line with the apron M and in thesame plane with its upper run there is suitably supported in the framingA beyond the end above referred to of the cylinder B the stationarytable T, to which the train of sheets deposited on the apron M by thecollecting-cylinder B are taken by the grippers of the endless carrierto be thereon cut crosswise of the original cut from the web by thecutter o o, hereinafter described, into smaller sheets that while onsaid table are folded together by the folder F on a line parallel withthe original cut, and thus formed into signatures. The carrier, arrangedat one side of the apron M and table T, consists of an endless toothedrack n, having the grippers o 0 0 0 0 0 0 attached, and is of a lengthsomewhat greater than the unitedlengths of the apron and table.

The collecting-cylinder B is furnished with grippers a a a forcollecting upon it and imposing one upon another the sheets cut by thecutter C. These grippers are like the grippers commonly used upon thecylinders of printing and other machines carried by shafts 11, arrangedlengthwise of the cylinder in suitable bearings therein. In the exampleselected for illustration there are three shafts a and sets of grippers.For the purpose of opening the grippers to receive sheets there issecured to the framing A at one end of the cylinder by a bracket 6 astationary cam f, Figs. 1* and 2, against which run rollers on the endsof levers a provided on the end of the gripper-shafts 0. outside of thecylinder. The closing of-the grippers is effected in a well-known way(illustrated in Fig. 2) by springs f, applied between the other ends ofsaid levers, and eyebolts f on the end of the cylinder. For the purposeof opening the grippers to liberate the sheets for deposit on the apon Mthere is provided just over one edge of the apron a tripping-cam g, Fig.2, under which the rollers of the gripper-shaft levers 03* pass in therevolution of the cylinder. The cam g consists of a projection on alever g, which works on a fixed fulcrum 9* and which is actuated for thepurpose of pulling said cam g into and out of its operative position bya rotary cam 73 on a shaft 6, which is arranged parallel with thecylinder in suitable fixed bearings. The shaft 1' makes one revolutionfor every twothirds of a revolution of the collecting-cylinder B, andhence it places the cam g in operative position three times during everytwo revolutions of the cylinder, and so each set of grippers is onlyopened by said cam during every other twothirds of a revolution of thecylinder. Now as each set of grippers is opened to receive a sheet everytime it passes the cam f, but is only opened for the liberation of thesheets every other time it passes the cam 9, it will be understood thattwo sheets are collected and imposed one upon another on the cylinder byeach set of grippers before either sheet is liberated to be depositedupon the apron M, and then both are liberated together to be dropped ordeposited imposed one upon the otherin a couple on the apron.

In the example of a sheet shown in Fig. 8 the greater dimensionrepresents the full width of the webvand is presented to the cylinder Blengthwise of the latter. The said sheet is represented as having eightpages on a side and is to be cut on the lines 20 into four smallersheets 22, such as are shown in Fig. 9. These smaller sheets are to befolded on the line 21, each of said smaller sheets consisting of fourpages, two on a side, and four of said smaller sheets, formingasignature of thirty two pages. The signature is not, however, all madeup from one of the larger sheets, but from smaller sheets taken eachfrom one of four different couples of the larger sheets which have beencollected and imposed on the cylinder and deposited thereby on the apronM, as hereinafter described, during intel-missions in the movement ofthe endless carrier-rack n. The cutter v o is arranged at a distancefrom the nearest end of the cylinderthat is to say, the right-hand endin Fig. 1--equal to the length of one of the smaller sheets 22 to becut, and the apron M extends beyond the cylinder nearly to the cutter.The table T extends from the cutter a distance equal to or not less thantwo lengths of said smaller sheets 22, and the folder F is arrangedwithin the second of said lengths.

The endless toothed rack n of the carrier is carried by two wheels I,one of which runs on a fixed axle h, supported in the frame I'I,containing the slideway in which the straight portions of the rack run,the other of said wheels I running loosely on the shaft M of thedriving-drum M of the apron M, which shaft is supported, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, in one bearingM on the framing A' and another bearing Mcarried by one of the brackets H, by which the frame H is attached tothe main framing A. The said rack is driven intermittently or with astep-by-step motion by a spur-gear J on a shaft J, which receives anintermittent motion, as hereinafter described. The grippers 0'0 0 0 0 0%are in such number and so spaced that there may be two to receive eachof as many of the sheets 22 or of the uncut sections 22 of the longersheets which are to form such shorter sheets as may be at any timesituated one before another on the apron M and table T. This makes eightof said grippers, as 0 0 0 0 to be included within the length of thecylinder B- two of them, 0 between the cylinder and cutter and four ofthem, 0 0 within the length of the table, as will be understood byreference to Figs. 3 and 3*, in the latter of which figures the dottedline 23 indicates the right-hand end of the space above the apron whichis occupied by the cylinder. The construction of these grippers isillustrated in Figs. 4, 4*, 5, 6, 7, of which Figs. 4, 4*, 5 aretransverse sectional views, Fig. 6 a'face view, and Fig. 7 a plan. Eachof said grippers consists of two members 24 27, of which one, 24,connected rigidly with the rack, has its end in the form of athree-pronged fork 25 26 26, of which one prong, 25, runs close to theedge of the apron M and to the corresponding edge of the table T and theother two, 26 .26, are turned upward to form a stop, against which comethe edges of'the sheets deposited upon the apron by thecollecting-cylinder B. The other member 27 is pivotally connected withthe member 24,andacoil-spring 30 is so applied in a well-known mannerto. the pivotal connection as to exert a constant tendency to close thegripper. The tail of said member 27, extending below the pivotalconnection, is furnished with a friction-roller 28, which runs alongcamsp q, located beside the apron.

The cam 19, which is stationary, is shown in Figs. 4 and 7 and also inFigs. 3 and 3*. It is carried by the rack-frame H and extends along theedge of the apron M from a point opposite the left-hand end of thecylinder a distance a little greater than the length of three of thesheetsor sections 22. It has a straight edge, which is simply rounded orbeveled, as shown at 19*, Figs. 3 and 7, at the end which correspondswith the left-hand end of the cylinder for the purpose of opening thegrippers as they pass that end. This cam 10 holds the grippers open solong as they run along it. The cam g, which is shown'in Figs. 4 and 7and also in Fig. 2, is for controlling the closing of the grippers. Itconsists of a straight bar of a length a little less than that of thesheet or section 22, and it is arranged opposite that portion of theapron M which receives the most forward section 22 of a sheet that maybe deposited thereon by the cylinder B. The said cam q is carried by thearms (1' of a rock-shaft g which is arranged in brackets g on therack-frame H, and this rock-shaft carries another arm g which engages,as shown in Fig. 2, with a cam g on the rotary shaft 1', hereinafterdescribed. The said cam g serves to throw the cam q toward the apron toa position in which it is operative on the grippers, as shown in Fig.4*, and back to a position in which it is inoperative thereon, as shownin Fig. 4, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Opposite the folding device F there are arranged on the same side of thetable T as the carrier two tappets r for the purpose of opening thegrippers every time they have brought a pileof superposed and cut sheets22 to a proper position on the table to be folded into the signature.These tappets, which are shown in plan Fig. and shown on a larger scalein Fig. 5, are carried by a rockshaft T, which works in bearingsin-the'framing A. On this rock-shaftis an armr which has connected withit apushing-spring T the lower end of which abuts, as shown in Fig. 5,against a fixed bearing r attached to the there is a cam s, Fig. 3*, onan upright rotary shaft 8, running in hearings in brackets 8*, attachedto the framing A, the said cam operating on the tappet rock-shaft 7"through a yoke-rod 8 which is connected with an arm 7* on saidrock-shaft. On the opposite side of the apron to the carrier there arearranged the joggers If for the purpose of jogging the deposited sheetsagainst the stops 26 of the grippers. These joggers are carried by arock-shaft t, arranged in fixed bearings in the framing A and operatedby any suitable means not necessary to be here described, the saidjogger-s not constituting any part of the present invention.

The cutter 'u v, hereinbefore mentioned for cutting the sheets, Fig. 8,crosswise on the lines 20, is arranged as nearly as convenient to theapron M. It is represented (see Figs. 1* and 12) as consisting of astationary lower blade 1; and a reciprocating. upper blade '0; Thestationary blade 01 is carried on 'a stationary cross-bar E, arrangedunder the table T, and its upper edge projects upward within a slot 0provided for it in the table. The reciprocating upper blade is carriedby a stock 0 which works in stationary vertical guides '0 on afixedcross-bar 12 The said stock may have its reciprocating motion given toit by any suitable meansas, for example, those illustrated and fullydescribed in my application Serial No. 124,158

hereinbefore referred to, consisting of two cams o Fig. 1*, on twoshafts it, which are geared together by spur-gears w, only one of eachof said cams, shafts, and gears being represented'in the present case.

The folding device represented, hereinbefore described as a whole by theletter F, is illustrated in Figs. 1* and 3" sufficiently for the purposeof the present invention, the said device being that which is thesubject of United States Patent No. 668,393, and which is shown in mysaid application, Serial No. 124,158. It consists of a blade y andgrippers z, the said blade being set with its edge downward over a sloty, Figs. and 12, in

the table T and the said grippers being carried by a horizontalcross-head 2', which has such a vertical reciprocating movement in Aerected on the bed-plate A. The'said shaft .2 carries also a cam .2 foroperating a packer a but as this latter does not constitute any part ofthe present invention no further description of it is necessary.

The web w, from which the sheets such as are represented in Fig. l areto be cut, may be fed to the cutter at a speed corresponding with thatof said cutter in any suitable manner. It is represented (see Fig. 2) asfed by feed-rollers 31 32 and as passing thence to the said cutter overa guide-roller 33. The collecting-cylinder B is at such distance fromthe cutter that the edge of the web will be taken hold of by thegrippers a, a or a just before each operation of the cutter to sever thesheet from it.

The gear J for driving the endless rackcarrier is represented as carriedby a shaft J, running in bearings in a stand A on the bedplate A and abracket A on the framing A,

- and the said shaft is represented (see Fig. 1*)

as deriving its necessary intermittent motion by the mechanical devicesknown as the Geneva stop from a shaft K, which has its hearings in thesaid stand A This device consists of a circular disk K, carried by thesaid shaft K and carrying a pin 35, which enters successively into eachof four radial slots in a disk J on the shaft J, the parts of said diskJ between the slots fitting the periphery of the disk K. This devicecauses the shaft J and gear J to make a quarter-revolution for onecomplete revolution of the shaft K and disk K and to remain stationaryduring the succeeding three-quarters of a revolution of thelast-mentioned shaft and disk. This movement of the gear J gives quickmovements during short intervals of time to the carrier and keeps saidcarrier stationary during intervening intervals of sufficient length forthe deposit of sheets by the collectingcylinder upon the apron M and forthe cutting up of the so-deposited sheets into the smaller sheets 22 andthe folding of said smaller sheets into signatures after their arrivalon the table T. The said shaft K derives its motion from a shaft L(shown dotted in Fig. 1*) through gears L and K on the said shafts andintermediate gears 36 37, mounted in the stand A The apron M has anintermittent or stepby-step movement corresponding with that of theendless rack-carrier and of the same or not greater surface velocity.The drivingshaft M* of the said apron, which carries its driving-drum M,gets its motion from the driving-shaft J of the endless carrier throughashaft N, Figs. 1, 1*, and 2, arranged in bearings in brackets N N onone side of the framing A, the said shaft being geared by miter-gears Pwith said shaft J and by mitergears Q with said shaft M*. The said apronmay be made of any substantial woven fabric of suitable width. As it isdesirable that its upper face, which receives the sheets, should be keptas fiat or straight as possible, the bearing 50 for its roller M is madeadjustable in its supporting-bracket 51 by means of an adjusting-screw52 for the purpose of setting the apron to the requisite tension.

The driving of the several shafts b, c, u, 11, s, L, .2 and M* at theproper relative speeds may be effected in any suitable manner byproperly-proportioned gearing, said gearing being all so proportionedthat the cutters C, which out once during each of their revolutions,make three revolutions to every one of the collecting-cylinder B, whilethe shaft 11, with its cams t" and g the shaft z for operating thecutter-blade v, and the shaft K, which operates the carrier, and theapron M all make three revolutions for every two of thecollecting-cylinder, the shaft J and its gear J making one movement forevery twothirds of a revolution of the collecting-cylinder.

I will now briefly su mmarize the operations of the endlessrack-carrier, the apron, the cutter q) 'u, and the folding device F.After each deposit of a collection of two sheets by thecollecting-cylinder B upon the apron, the latter and the carrier beingthen both stationary, the carrier and the apron will move a distanceequal to the length of one of the short sheets or sections 22, Figs. 8,9, 10, and again become stationary to receive a collection of two newsheets from the cylinder. In this way the deposits of the sheets incouples upon the apron make upon the apron and table a train such as isillustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, in which the successive depositsnumbered 1 2 3 4 in their regular order are eachin advance of itssuccessoradistance equal to thelength of the shortersheets 22 to be cut,so that when the first deposit 1 has been carried by the carriergrippersto the end of the table and over the folder F there will be fourdeposits within the length of that most-advanced portion 4 t" of thefourth deposit which corresponds with the length of said shorter sheets.The next movement of the carrier-rack after the fourth deposit carriesthe superposed portions of the four deposits beyond the cutter o '0,bringing the line 4" to the latter, which by its previous operations maybe supposed to have cut off the advanced sections 22 of the deposits 1,2, and 3. The cutter-blade t then descends and cuts off the forwardsections 22 of the deposits 2, 3, and 4, leaving them piled on therearmost end of deposit 1. The pile of four deposits, making eightfour-page sheets 22, is then carried forward by the next movement of thecarrier to the folding device F, which then folds the eight sheetstogether into a signature of thirty-two pages, which is carried downthrough the table to the packer or to any suitable receptacle. The sameoperations of the cutting and folding device occur after every depositon the apron and every movement of the carrier. In the above-describedoperation of the carrier its grippers do not operate to seize the sheetsuntil they severally arrive in the position illustrated by the twogrippers o in Fig. 3*, being up to that IIO time held open successivelyby the stationary camp and the movable cam q, but as each two arriveopposite the said cam q the said cam is thrown aside from them to permittheir being closed by their springs, which keep them closed during thenext movement of the carrier. The four superposed couples of sheets arethus all -seized together by the carrier-grippers,and so carried forwarduntil said grippers arrive at the position opposite the folding deviceillustrated by 0 in Fig. 3*, when the tappets 1" come into operation toproduce their opening,as hereinbefore described.

It maybe n1entioned,though perhaps hardly necessary, that after startingthe machinery the sheets 22 cut from the first three deposits, ashereinbefore described, do not make complete signatures,and hence are tobe discarded.

It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art how thismachinery, though the example represented shows it particularly adaptedto the production from two sheets of eight pages of a thirty-two-pagesignature containing eight sheets of four pages, may be adapted to theproduction from sheets containing a less or greater number of pages of asignature consisting of a greater or less number of sheets and pages.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination of a travelingsheetsupport and a rotary collecting-cylinder for collecting a pluralityof sheets one at a time and imposing them one upon another on itsperiphery and depositing the imposed collections upon said support.

2. The combination of an intermittentlymoving sheet-support and a rotarycollectingcylinder for collecting a plurality of sheets one at a timeand imposing them one upon another on its periphery and depositing theimposed collection directly therefrom upon said support during theintermissions of its movement.

3. The combination of a traveling sheetsupport and means for depositingsheets thereon, a carrier for carrying sheets lengthwise of saidsupport, means for moving said carrier intermittently for the laying ofsuccessive deposits of sheets upon said support in a train in which eachdeposit partly overlaps the preceding one and means for moving the saidsupport in the same direction as the carrier.

4. The combination of an endless apron, a rotary collecting-cylinderfurnished with grippers, means for opening and closing said grippers forthe reception of sheets and for the deposit thereof on said apron, andmeans for giving said apron intermittent movements between thesuccessive deposits of sheets thereon whereby the deposited sheets aremade to run with said apron in the form of a train in which each depositpartly overlaps the preceding one.

5. The combination of an endless apron, a rotary collecting-cylinderfurnished with grippers, means for opening and closing said grippers forcollecting a plurality of sheets one at a time and imposing them oneupon another on its periphery and depositing the imposed collectionsupon said apron, and means for giving said apron intermittent movementswhereby the deposited collections of sheets are made to run with saidapron in the form of a train in which each collection partly overlapsthe preceding one.

6. The combination of an endless apron and a stationary table in-linetherewith constitutin g together a sheet-support, a carrier for carryingsheets along said apron and table, means for moving said carrier andsaid apron together intermittently, means for depositing sheets uponsaid apron during the intermissions of its movement and a cutter locatednear that end of said table next the apron.

7. The combination of an endless apron and a stationary table in linetherewith constituting together a sheet-support, a carrier for carryingsheets along said apron and table, means for moving said apron andcarrier together intermittently, means for depositing sheets upon saidapron during the intermissions of its movement, a cutter for cuttingsheets while partly on said apron and partly 'on said table into smallersheetsand a folder for folding the so-cut smaller sheets.

8. The combination of an endless apron and a stationary table in linetherewith constituting together a sheet-support, means for depositingsheets on said apron, an endless carrier with attached grippers runningthe whole length of the so-oonstituted support, a cutter for cuttingsheets while retained by said carrier partly on said apron and partlyon-said table into smaller sheets, and a folder for folding the so-cutsmaller sheets.

9. The combination of an endless apron and a stationary table in linetherewith constituting together a sheet-support, means for depositingsheets on said apron, an intermittently-moving endless carrier withattached grippers running the whole length of the soconstituted support,a cutter for cutting sheets while retained by said carrier partly onsaid apron and partly on said table into smaller sheets, a folderoperating through an opening in said table for folding the so-cutsmaller sheets, means for opening and holding open said grippers for thereception of sheets deposited on the apron, means for closing saidgrippers for carrying the deposited sheets to the cutter and the cutsmaller sheets to the folder and means for reopening said grippers forthe release of the sheets on their arrival at the folder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of December, 1902.

EDGAR I-I. COTTRELL.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, GEORGE BARRY, Jr.

too

